April Showers Bring May Flowers
by freelux
Summary: Falling in love wasn't exactly part of the plan. Uhm. MileyLilly. / Futurefic.
1. dirty little secret

**A/N: I've been wanting to write for this pairing for freaking FOREVER. So, stupid as I am, in the midst of all these other stories, there's this. I hope it's okay. First impressions are important, so hopefully this'll make a good one.**

**Rated for femmeslash, swearing, major OOC-ness, and such. IMPORTANT: They're around twenty-one or twenty-two in this story. **

**I'm not sure how long it's going to be, or if the rating is going to go up (because believe me, with my messed up mind it just might have to.), but I hope you enjoy it. If you have any suggestions, please tell me in your review xD I swear, make it past the first few paragraphs and it gets better. Promise.**

**So, enjoy!**

Lilly's given Oliver exactly three days to get the fuck out of this apartment.

She hates him, she really does. She hates how he's always seemed so perfect to her, how he's had her wrapped around his finger for _all these years_ (it's been exactly five years, actually, since he's stolen her heart when they were sixteen) And most of all, she hates that he's been cheating on her with Joannie for the past six months.

Lilly is sure that being burned alive is much less painful than the never-ending ache in her heart. He's all around her, yet he's nowhere to be found. He's staying with Joannie now, but all his things are still here - his jacket that still smells just like him, his books, his stupid hair products, his laptop, the rest of his clothes…_His_ fucking love notes full of lies to _her_ still stuck to the refrigerator with multi-colored magnets.

She doesn't need to look at them to know what they say…

_Lillypop, went to the market. Need anything, just call me. I love you._

_Hey Lillypop, hanging out with some of the guys tonight, I'll try to be back by 11. Don't stay up waiting for me, okay? Don't worry your pretty little head about anything, I'm fine. Love you, Ollypop._

_Since I'm going to be gone ALL WEEKEND, here's an extra long note for you so you won't miss me so much. I love you, Lilly.. I know you've been upset lately that I haven't been around much to spend time with you, and I'm really sorry for that. I've just been…Busy. Don't worry, when I get back we'll spend all week together. I'm just a phone call away, remember that. I love you. Oliver._

Lilly feels so incredibly stupid now, looking back on it. How had she fallen for it? He's always gone. Always. After a while, she should've picked up on it. Should've realized something was wrong when he stopped calling her Lillypop, and stopped answering her calls when he was away and she needed him. Should've realized something was suspicious about the way he always seemed to be going to the market (even when there was plenty of food in the fridge), or how he hovered protectively over his phone whenever he got a call or text.

"Ha!" she chuckles darkly to herself. That was then, and this is now. She's not so stupid anymore, but she can't believe she actually _fell_ for that shit. Drawing her knees to her chest where it feels like there should be a gaping hole, Lilly closes her eyes and remembers.

"_Going to visit your parents AGAIN?" Lilly asked, awfully disappointed. She'd been counting on spending the weekend with him, only to be let down once again by his plans._

"_Sorry, Lillypop, but my mom is really sick. You know that. And I gotta go visit her and stuff, make sure she's okay…" Oliver trailed off, grabbing his coat, bag, and heading for the apartment door._

"_Your mom's sick?" Lilly gasped, suddenly feeling awful for being so selfish. You're a terrible person, Lillian, she scolded herself inwardly. His mother is sick, for God's sake! "Oh my God, I hope she's okay…Send her my love, okay?"_

"_Will do," Oliver smiled sympathetically at the blonde before him, who was obviously waiting for a goodbye kiss, or a hug at the least. He leaned down to kiss her lightly on the forehead - that was all that his dirty little secret would permit. _

_And then he was gone, leaving her once again. For the last time, actually. He just didn't know it yet._

_**A day later…**_

_Lilly was lonely. She hated to admit it, but she really wished Oliver didn't leave her alone on weekends like this, even if his mother was sick. She did love Oliver's mother, however, and decided that a quick call to her future mother-in-law wouldn't hurt. Besides, maybe she'd get to speak with Oliver as well; he hadn't been answering his phone at all._

_Punching in the numbers roughly, Lilly waited impatiently for five whole rings before an answer on the sixth._

"_Hello?" Oliver's mother's voice filled Lilly's ears. She sounded healthy. At least she didn't have step throat or anything like that._

"_Hi, Ms. Oken! It's Lilly…I just wanted to see you if you were feeling any better. Oliver said you were in pretty bad shape, so I wanted to see how you were. Oh, and is Oliver there, by any chance? He hasn't been answering his phone…"_

_There was a long, confused pause before Nancy Oken spoke into the phone shakily. "What do you mean, Lilly darling? I assure you that we're all feeling absolutely fine…And Oliver? Why would he be here…?"_

_Lilly's mouth dropped open, and it felt like somebody had just punched a gaping hole in her chest. Her jaw went slack, and she dropped the phone. It landed on the floor hard with a CRACK!_

_What a fucking liar that boy was…_

Lilly doesn't realize she's trembling until she attempts to pick up her glass of water, only to find that her hands are shaking violently. She hates him, and she can't wait to get that horrid, waste of life out of hers for good.

The only thing that sucks is that it appears she'll be living alone from now on. And he'll haunt her like a ghost. She'll have to buy all new things, and burn all of this old stuff. Everything in the apartment reminds her of _him._

She wishes she has someone to talk to, someone's shoulder to cry on. She just needs _somebody._ There's her mother, of course, but she's dating again and is very busy now that she actually has a social life again. Lilly's happy for her, naturally. Or at least she pretends to be. She's always thought her mom's boyfriend was kind of a douche.

Just like Oliver. She hopes that her mom's boyfriend doesn't turn out to be as awful as _him_, though.

Looking out the window, she can see that the bright sun is beginning to set, disappearing behind a mass of grey clouds, promising rain. What great weather, it matches her mood perfectly.

Suddenly, Lilly hears the doorknob turn, and she knows it's him, coming to get the rest of his things.

She pretends to sleep.

**~...~**

_Soon after the initial shock, Lilly reassembled the broken phone and sauntered off to her room, collapsing onto the bed as violent sobs wracked her body. She wanted to die, to be shot and hanged and stabbed. Nothing was worse than this pain…This aching sense that she'd loved and trusted somebody she shouldn't have._

_She noticed a flash of silver on his nightstand. He'd left his phone. Horribly curious, Lilly snatched it off the wooden surface. The screen indicated that the phone was on silent. No wonder he hadn't been getting her calls - he didn't even have his phone. But Lilly didn't care about that. She cared about the '17 missed messages' that was blinking on the screen._

_Inquisitively, she opened one of the message, and a lump formed in her throat._

_**MESSAGE 1**_

_**From: Joannie**_

_**To: Oliver**_

_**Hey, u coming over this weekend? I gotta lot planned for us ;)**_

_**MESSAGE 2**_

_**From: Joannie**_

_**To: Oliver**_

_**I dunno, think of smthg…uhh, ur mom is sick and u gotta go take care of her?**_

_Lilly threw the phone across the room, as she couldn't bear to read any longer. Joannie was hooking up with Oliver. Joannie was Oliver's now. Lilly was history…_

Lilly wakes up in a cold sweat, panting. She's lying on the couch where she's actually fallen asleep for real. Oliver's long gone, probably making out with Joannie right about now. Or worse…

Shaking off the dreadful thought, Lilly flips on the lights and gasps. He's taken all of his things - his chairs, his lamps, his side table. His jacket is gone, along with all his shoes that were just there this morning. So that's it then.

Oliver's gone forever. Lilly wants to scream. Burying her face in the sofa cushions, she screams because she hates him. She screams because she misses him. She screams because this is all so fucking unfair.

Shuffling to her room, she realizes she never wants to sleep in this bed every again. Snatching a couple pillows and a blanket from their- wait, no, now it's _hers_- closet, she tosses them casually onto the carpet, but doesn't try to doze off. She's too upset for that. Instead, she heads to the kitchen.

The first thing she has to do is get rid of these love notes. She can hardly believe he even left them. Probably too eager to get back to Joannie, Lilly thinks.

She tears them off from the pad one by one, feeling stronger as she destroys each and every one. Tomorrow, she promises herself, she'll shred them and light them on fire or something. There's writing on most of the sheets in the notepad, and Lilly's about to tear off that last sheet when she spots a familiar name.

Miley Stewart.

Oh God, Lilly thinks. It's been what, two, three years since she's spoken to Miley? For a moment, she smiles, remembering the times when she, Miley, and -shudder- Oliver would collapse into chairs on the beach, talking, laughing, and, well…Being kids. It all seems so far away now, like a hazy dream.

Curiously, Lilly tears off the paper and reads it silently.

_Lilly,_

_When times get rough (or you just wanna chat! :D), call me, okay? I know you're busy and everything, but I'll miss you too much._

_583-2674_

_I love you. Oh yeah, and…Possum._

_Love,_

_Miley_

And as she remembers, Lilly's heart breaks. Because she's spent so much time and energy on Oliver, and now she's lost her boyfriend _and_ her best friend.

She rereads the note several times before a completely stupid, insane idea materializes. Sure, it's been two or three _years_since she's talked to her best friend, but Miley_ did _say to call any time, didn't she?

Hesitating only a second, Lilly snatches the phone out of the cradle and dials.

**Really weird first chapter :o Hopefully it was okay. Sorry Oliver's kind of a douche. I actually really like him, but it was necessary to make this work…sorry. Also, this chapter was pretty much Lilly's trying to get over Oliver. Because honestly, even if Miley IS her soul mate, it's not like she's going to just forget about what she and Oliver shared for all these years. **

**Next chapter will be up soon. Promise.**

**Reviews, maybe? It would make my day, literally. **


	2. stolen hearts yet to be recovered

**A/N; I want to cry. From happiness, don't worry :o**

**12 reviews. In ONE day for ONE chapter. Do you know how happy that makes me? VERY! :D :D :D That, for me, is insane. I was expecting maybe two or three reviews…but TWELVE? That's amazing. You Liley-ers are way fine ;)**

**So, I wasn't expecting to update so quickly, but I was so excited and there were such nice review that I figured I might as well finish editing this one and post it. I MAY even post another one later, if I get the chance. I have to say, I'm kind of proud of this story and where it's going. Hopefully you'll like it, too!**

**Somebody recommended I do a disclaimer. I stopped doing those a long time ago, but I guess since I'm new to the HM fanfic world that I'll do one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana, nor do I own the characters Lilly, Miley, Oliver, or Joannie. I only own the ones I make up. Which MAY be quite a few, we'll see.**

**So, enjoy this one. (BTW, I fixed the last chapter. I realized that during one of the flashbacks I changed persons. So it's all fixed now…and I figured out a new divider.) I should probably shut up now ^- ^**

Lilly sits at the kitchen table, trembling violently with a buzzing phone in her hand.

She can't do this. She just can't. After all the years she's spent clinging to Oilver, following him around like a puppy begging for a treat, she can't bring herself to call Miley. Not after all the times she'd ignored the dark-haired girl's calls, or the times she cancelled plans to spend more time with Oliver.

She just can't, and that's the worst part: she's too weak, afraid, and spineless to do this. And she knows this isn't the real Lilly Truscott. Back in her teenage years she could kick the ass of anyone who stood in the way of her friendship with Miley…And she most certainly wasn't afraid.

So where has this new, terrified attitude come from?

Lilly supposes that that's Oliver's fault, too. He's broken her down, inside and out, and built her back up into a girl that she doesn't even recognize anymore. She supposes she's not even worthy of being Lilly Truscott anymore.

As she rolls around mentally in self-pity, Lilly's urge to call her friend grows even stronger, causing the uneasy feeling in her gut to spread to her heart. That only makes it worse. Her heart's going to explode.

She can't fucking do this.

Just as she's about to set the phone back in the cradle, Lilly's cell phone, tucked away in her (and she can't get over how weird that sounds…Everything is _hers_ now. Not theirs, but hers.) drawers in her bedroom. Even though she doesn't have much motivation to answer it, she shuffles down the hall, yanks the drawer open so roughly it almost falls out of the wooden dresser, and gropes around underneath piles of her clothes for the source of that agitating ringing. Her skin comes across something cold and smooth that sends shivers down her spine, and she pulls it out, not bothering to check the identity of the caller.

"Hello?" she croaks, and almost laughs at how awful she sounds. So much time and energy wasted on him…Again. Except now she's crying instead of loving.

"Lilly…" the voice on the other end murmurs, and his voice is strained. Lilly almost hangs up as she clutches the phone in her hand so tightly that a small gasp escapes her lips.

"What the fuck do you want?" she snaps, red-hot, burning anger replacing her grief.

Oliver's voice becomes so cold, hard and unfriendly that it's almost frightening to Lilly. "Well, excuse me. I just want to see if you were okay, okay? Yeah, well…Seems like you're doing just fine. Joannie's waiting…Bye."

"Asshole!" Lilly whispers loudly into the buzzing phone in her hand. She's actually glad he didn't hear that, although she really meant it. She hates how he dangles Joannie in her face like she cares. That's the worst part, though…She _does_ care. She hates him with the burning passion of a thousand suns, and she thinks it's pretty fucking ironic that that corny little phrase there was how she used to describe her love for him.

With a small sigh, Lilly scrolls through her contacts until she reaches her mother's number. She hasn't spoken to her mother since last week, when she at least realized she was cheated on. But Lilly hadn't the chance to tell her mother the news, because Ms. Truscott was too busy getting ready for her date with Drew. But Lilly preferred it that way. If her mother found out too soon, she'd be down here in two seconds flat, smothering Lilly and only further prying open the gaping hole in her heart.

She presses a few buttons, and moments later Lilly is listening to the comforting ring of the phone. At first it's soothing, but as it keeps on ringing with no answer on the other end, Lilly grows annoyed and punches the end button with her thumb.

"Probably on another date with Drew," she mutters to herself. Deciding that maybe some pointless television will help clear her head, she tiptoes into the living room and curls up on the couch. She realizes that she's still tiptoeing…Because she's used to it. In the earlier years of their relationship (before Oliver started this midnight rendezvous with Joannie), she'd sneak out of bed and quietly make her way to the living room to watch some TV.

Lilly doesn't have to be quiet now. So she turns the television up extra loud and spends the next thirty-six minutes watching an infomercial about a machine that supposedly can make any meal in ten seconds or less. It's fairly entertaining as well as distracting, so Lilly finally feels enough at ease to close her eyes and try to sleep, with the voices of the two commercial hosts still blaring in the background.

Followed by the closing of her eyes is sleep. And sleep always means dreams…Or in her case, nightmares.

"_You fucking_ _asshole," Lilly screeched at the unsuspecting dark-haired young man as he walked through the door after being absent for the weekend, supposedly visiting his parents._

"_Lilly, what are yo-" he began, startled. He'd been prepared for a warm welcome and lots of chatter from his girlfriend…But not this._

"_You can cut the crap, Oliver!" Lilly cut him off, voice sharp as razors, "I know you're cheating on me with Joannie, and I KNOW you weren't with your parents this weekend! Just looking at you now is making me sick…I loved you, Oliver. I trusted you. Just…You know what? Get the fuck out. Come back in a few days when I'm ready to see your lousy ass again, get your crap and just leave. Please, Oliver." It had started out strong and confident, but by the end of her speech Lilly was whimpering and practically begging._

_Oliver's jaw went slack as much as his face went pale. He stuttered, stumbling with words as he fumbled around in his mind for something - anything - to say. _

"_I'm sorry, Lilly," he murmured, before turning away from the blonde, whose face, now red with fury and pain, was now completely the opposite of his own._

"_Get. Out," Lilly whimpered._

_And Oliver did just that, leaving his devastated blonde girlfriend, now collapsed on the tile floor sobbing in his wake._

Lilly shoots up, a headache threatening to implode her brain from the TV she's been blasting all night. She can't believe she's actually slept through it. Slants of sunlight make their way through the dusty blinds, causing odd shadows to take form across the carpet.

But the headache isn't just from the possibly permanent damage to her eardrums - it's from desperately needing to get these emotions out. She's always hated bottling things up, and swore up and down one day that she'd never do it, but now she's breaking that.

Lilly can't even begin to describe how many combinations of awful, heart wrenching emotions she has built up in her system. Biting her bottom lip so roughly that she tastes blood…

…Lilly gives in. She stalks over to the kitchen counter, practically rips the phone from the cradle, and fishes the note from Miley out from the trash bin, where she'd thrown it late last night after her call with Oliver.

Repeating the number quietly to herself, she dials.

And this time, she doesn't hang up.

**~…~**

The brunette young woman wakes up to country music blasting in her ear, provided by her cell phone, indicating she has a call coming in.

Yawning and desperately wanting to bury herself under the covers and go back to sleep, she stretches like a cat, blinks until the sunlight is no longer blurring her vision, and snatches the offender off the dresser. She doesn't even bother looking at the screen, just flips it open and casually answers, "'Lo?"

Miley Stewart never checks caller ID.

It's just in her nature. Although this time, she wishes she had. There's an awkward silence on the other end, and Miley almost wants to hang up the phone because she's been through the whole pshyco-stalker-calling-you-and-saying-nothing thing, and to be honest, it's more annoying than it is frightening.

Finally, the person on the other end speaks. They speak so quietly and softly that Miley wonders if they've been crying or something.

"Uh…Hello?" she tries again, and she's honestly considering hanging up. That is, until the mystery caller speaks again, more clearly this time. But it's not what they say that makes her heart hammer in her chest or her eyes to widen in utter shock - it's who says it.

"Miley? Hi…Uh, it's Lilly. Lilly Truscott."

**WOO. Okay, so finally, Miley comes in! ;) Hopefully this chapter half-explains why Lilly hasn't spoken to Miley in so long…And in the next few chapters it'll all become clear.**

**Mkay, so reviews would be nice :o No pressure or anything. Promise.**


	3. outrageous revelations

**A/N: LALA. **

**Aha, I uploaded another chapter! Two updates in ONE day? How cool! Enjoy, loverlies ;)**

**Hm, I have a feeling that later in this story the rating's going to have to go up. Just a thought. But we'll see. **

**In the next chapter after this one, we really get into a bunch of Liley-ness :D**

"Miley? Hi…Uh, it's Lilly. Lilly Truscott."

Miley's jaw goes slack, and she desperately tears apart her mind trying to remember how to closer it. _Lilly Truscott?_

It can't be. It just can't. She hasn't spoken to Lilly in years. This must be some mistake…Yes, a mistake. A prank caller.

"Whoever you are, you're not fooling me," Miley grumbles, her heartbeat slowly losing it's quickly pounding momentum.

"What? Miley…I need to talk to you."

That voice is so horribly familiar, so comforting and lovely and_ safe_ that it nearly drives Miley over the edge. Because she knows this can't be Lilly, it just can't because Lilly's run off to LaLa Land with Oliver Oken, leaving a gaping hole in her chest. This can't be Lilly, but whoever it is, Miley mentally notes that if she ever finds out she's going to kick this mystery caller's scrawny little ass for getting her hopes up like this.

"Seriously, who is this?"

"It's Lilly. D-don't you remember m-me, Miley?" the voice on the other end cracks as she whispers her name.

"L-Lilly?" Miley murmurs wondrously, feeling almost numb. She can't think or feel, and the sun is beginning to blind her. Remembering to blink, she does, but she's waiting impatiently for her long lost friend to reply.

Lilly, on the other end, breathes a shaky sigh of relief. "Miley? I…Uh…Can we talk? I know you're probably mad and you hate me and I'm _so_ sorry, Miley. I just really, _really_ need somebody to talk to right now, and, well, you see…I found your number on the refrigerator last night behind a bunch of love no-" her voice wavers, and Miley notices that it sounds like she's crying.

"Lilly," she breathes, tears welling in her eyes. She can't yet grasp the situation; it's like a filmy fabric, so light she can barely see it, and all the while she's groping for it but doesn't manage to even caress it, let alone snatch it and feel the scratchy fabric in her fist. "So…What's…Up?" she speaks in a monotone. Inside she's screaming.

"Um…Just wanted to talk is all…" Lilly whimpers. She's doing an awful job at trying to keep her voice level, but the lovely, remarkably familiar Southern accent of her friend and everything else that's going on is just too much to bear. So Lilly breaks down. "Miley…I've just…I miss you _so_ much and I'm_ so_ sorry and I love you and miss you and I just really don't know what to do anymore," she bawls.

Miley is taken aback, and it's now impossible to keep the moisture from her eyes and the ache from her heart. "Lilly…" she whispers, smiling gently as she would if her friend were here with her now, "I've missed you, too. _So_ much, and I promise that I love you as much as I did a few years ago. Probably more, even," she laughs, blinking back her tears. She's so fucking_ happy._

Or she is. She's happy until Lilly replies, in a strangled, choking whisper, "Oliver's gone, Miley."

A strangled cry escapes Miley's lips.

**~…~**

Listening to the sound of her friends voice is so soothing that Lilly thinks that it's a better remedy for nightmares than blasting infomercials all night.

"What? What happened? Was it an accident…How long…?" Miley's voice is a series of gasps.

_Oh_. Lilly understands - Miley's heard her wrong. She thinks that Oliver's _dead. _Lilly almost wishes her was.

"No, Miley," she chokes, "He...He _left _me, Miley. He cheated on me..."

By the end of her final sentence, Lilly's sobbing hard, and on the other end Miley's frantic. "Oh my God, Lilly. No...I'm so fucking sorry, Lilly. I'm so, so, SO sorry. What a douche, glad I didn't keep in touch with _him_," Miley gasps.

Her friends complete niceness just makes Lilly feel worse.

"I'm so sorry, Lilly," her friend tries again to comfort her, talking softly. She thinks fast, and suddenly gasps, a bit more ecstatic this time. "Lilly...Come visit me. Please come visit, I'll even pay for everything. You can come stay with me for a while, and it'll be just like old times. It'll be great, Lilly, just think about it. Please come visit, Lilly."

Lilly's heart thumps. _YES! _she wants to scream. Because, honestly, she'd love to. She'd love it.

But she doesn't want her friend to see what's become of her. A weak, spineless, shell of the girl she once was. It's clearly something to be ashamed of.

"I don't know, Miley, I-"

"Just think about it, okay?" Miley begs, and Lilly laughs inwardly at how she sounds exactly like she did when they were all sixteen. It's a nice feeling that warms her heart, if only for a minute.

With a sigh of inner defeat - because really, she'd love to and she's missing the hell out of that girl - Lilly replies softly, "Okay, I'll think about it."

"I'll give you some time. I'll call you a little later, promise. I love you, Lilly," Miley's smile is evident, even if Lilly can't see her.

_I love you, Lilly._ The words tumble around in Lilly's head like a mental washing machine, purging her mind of any negative thoughts that try and creep up on her. For a minute, she feels whole again. But only for a minute.

"I love you too, Miley," she whispers, and means it.

She stays on the phone long after Miley's hung up, taking in everything that's happened in the past hour. Nothing matters, though, except that her _best friend_ Miley Stewart still loves her. Forgives her after all she's done. Lilly can't even imagine how much she'd have to do, all the people she'd have to help, to be as purely good a person as her best friend.

Staring out the window and pretending to make decisions that are already closed, a small part of Lilly's heart is finding it's way back, and the gaping hole, though it doesn't cease, seems to cease slightly.

* * *

**Wow. Really bad chapter, I apologize. The next one is one of my favorites, so don't give up on me, please!**

**Reviews, perhaps? :o They would make me really happy. Tell me how this chapter was, please.**


	4. reunions and boyfriends galore

**A/N: Over thirty reviews, guys ;)**

**UBERLY SORRY, that this is SOO late o.o**

**Okay. So. I like this one because A) the descriptions for some reason and B) it really gives you a lot of ideas of what could happen later in the story. Okay, heads up: I have NOT seen the Hannah Montana movie, therefore I have no certain descriptions of Crowley Corners. It's all in my head, dearies.**

**Oh, and this story is going to get an M rating. Because, on the evening of 5/16/10, I wrote a pretty steamy chapter for this story ;o It's not until later on in the story, so you know, I'll wait it out xD I was trying to hold off, but the whole scene I was writing for that chapter just screamed 'SMUT!' IMPORTANT: That scene MAY or MAY NOT make it to the final cut of the story. I may take it out, if I can't find ways to make it flow with the rest of the story. We'll see.**

**Yes ma'm :o**

**Enjoy ;)**

* * *

Miley's back in Crowley Corners now.

Colors and blurred shapes, stifled laughs and broad smiles, _all kinds_ of memories flood Lilly's head as she turns onto a gravelly road past a cluster of trees, their foliage lush and green, that pokes mockingly at the rubber of her tires. It's such a small agitation, but with all the anxiety building in her system, it makes her want to scream.

She remembers the town vaguely, but it's almost as if she's dreamed it, not actually seen it.

Glancing nervously at the coffee-stained sheet of paper resting on the passenger seat, Lilly murmurs Miley's directions to herself, and for a second she can hear the girl's voice, all that Southern-accented glee filling her heart with a joy she's never thought possible.

Not this soon, anyway.

And then she spots it: a speck of tan in a sea of lush green trees and blue skies, better known as the home where the lovely Miley Stewart is currently residing in.

The mere thought of it sends Lilly's already-panicky heart into a frenzy, and she steps on the gas a little, impatiently.

At the same time, though, she's _afraid._ Has Lilly Truscott ever been afraid of _anything_?

Her heart nearly beats it's way from her chest as she turns the car hesitantly into the driveway as she takes in the scenery, and smiles a little. It's so _Miley._ There must be acres and acres of land here, all for _her_. No doubt she's got a few horses. The tan brick home in front of her is one she almost remembers seeing in some kind of _Home and Garden_ magazine, the one with the bright, multi-colored flowers gracing the wide porch, with the perfect, just-cleaned glass windows lining the outer walls, and the overall charm of the place simply overwhelming.

Just as she grasps the handle to the car door in her hands, Lilly's muscles contract, and a wave of dizziness washes over her. She gasps, clutching the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles go completely white. _Come on Lilly, it _is_ Miley in there._

As soon as she attempts to comfort herself, Lilly's jolted from her thoughts as the front door of the home swings open.

Revealing the most ecstatic-looking young woman in the world.

And for a moment, just a moment, Lilly's heart almost stops and her hands drop limply to her sides as she gapes, dumbfounded. Because it's _her,_ it's Miley Stewart, her best friend, _in the flesh._

"Well? What are you _waiting_ for?" the brunette laughs, several layers of anticipation glimmering in her grey-blue eyes.

And for a moment, just a moment, Lilly forgets the rest of the world, forgets Oliver and Joannie and her mother and everything, because all that matters right here and now is the dark-haired girl anxiously waiting for her in the doorway. That's _all _that matters.

Flinging herself from the car almost childishly, Lilly can feel raw emotion building in her throat, coating it so thickly that she can't even cry. She doesn't even say anything, just practically throws herself into Miley's waiting arms, and Lilly recognizes the scent on her: something subtle but noticeably floral, with hints of vanilla.

It's like they've never been apart.

"I've missed you too much, Lilly," Miley murmurs, her voice thick with emotion that Lilly doesn't recognize. Because Miley is never emotional, never weak or defenseless like _she_ is. It's just not her nature.

"Not as much as _I've_ missed _you_," Lilly giggles halfheartedly, staring with wide blue eyes at the girl in front of her.

She looks exactly like she did three years ago.

Her dark hair is still wavy, tumbling down her back like a waterfall, and her grey-blue eyes are still constantly dancing with excitement. Her cheeks still have a reddish, flush-like complexion to them - a permanent blush, Lilly used to call it. Miley's a little taller, maybe, but everything else is the _same_, down to how each word comes off her lips.

There's a moment of stunned silence, a moment where actions nor words mean anything; the looks they're giving one another are enough. Enough to wash all the hesitance and worry from Miley's head, enough to temporarily vaporize the pain in Lilly's heart.

After a moment, Miley chuckles in that way Lilly remembers and loves, and asks, "So, are you ready for the official tour of the Miley Stewart household?""Of course," Lilly laughs along with her, surprise out how they just _mesh_, like they just saw each other yesterday, like they haven't not talked in years.

Miley leads Lilly - who's in an almost blissful daze - around the grounds, across the field, through the house and under the wide arcs that separate rooms. Lilly subconsciously thinks that it's lovely, but her mind is other places because she's just so damn_ happy._

Stopping in the bright, airy kitchen, Miley whirls to face her friend while she snatches a glass from the cabinet and attacks it with the spray nozzle. Taking a quick gulp, she smiles. "You don't look much different, Lils. You got taller, though."

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Lilly looks down at herself. She hasn't gotten _that_ tall. She's still six inches shorter than_ him_, and at least a few inches shorter than Miley. "Well, you've gotten taller too, you know."

"Guess so," Miley grins widely, and for a minute Lilly wonders if she's going to get smothered again. But instead, Miley reaches over, giving her arm a comforting squeezing before grabbing her hand (and Lilly notices that for once, somebody's touched her and she hasn't flinched yet) and tugging her silently to an oak staircase in the corner of the living room.

Leading her blonde friend down the hall, Miley flings open a door at the end of the corridor, revealing the guest room, decorated in all shades of blue.

"This my room?" Lilly murmurs, unconsciously stepping into the bright room, feeling the warmth of the sun through the glass windows on her bare arms. It's always sunny in Malibu, but she feels _warm_ now. Happy. Almost whole, and practically complete. It's like the gaping hole in her heart is the size of a knothole now, and receding yet.

"Only the best for my_ best_ friend," Miley giggles, but her eyes dart suddenly to the window, where another car has pulled up outside next to Lilly's. Biting down on her lip, she strides over to the nightstand and pretends to organize the already neat-as-a-pin surface.

Lilly takes notice. "Miley…You alright?"

There's only silence as the dark-haired girl continues to rearrange the top of the pale dresser, pictures here, lamp there…

"Miley!" Lilly snaps, before gasping at how she's just snapped at the girl.

Miley looks up, startled. "Oh, sorry. What was that?"

"Are. You. Okay?" Lilly speaks again slowly, cautiously eyeing the troubled girl in front of her. In mere minutes the tables have turned and gone from Miley trying to comfort Lilly to the other way around.

"Yeah…Fine. Sorry, Lils. Just thinking is all," Miley's signature, genuine smiles returns, but this time it's strained. Wrapping an arm loosely around her friend, she sighs and starts downstairs to collect Lilly's bags.

Lilly's not falling for it, but she smiles and nods anyway. The two are just starting out the open door when a young man appears from behind a truck, grinning broadly.

Inside her, Lilly's stomach churns. Something about him reminds her of _Oliver._ Maybe it's his dark hair falling into his eyes, or the almost goofy smile plastered on his face, but the pain in her heart increases rapidly, so rapidly she wonders if she'll drown in it.

"Hey babe!" he smiles again, almost in a false manner, at Miley.

"Mike," she nods, smiling halfheartedly before he wraps her in a hug, kissing her forehead lightly.

"Who's this?" Mike questions, nodding towards Lilly, who's now standing anxiously in the doorway.

"Mike, this is an old friend of my, Lilly. Lilly, this is Mike, my boyfriend."

Lilly's heart crashes through the floor. Miley has a _boyfriend._ It may be because she knows Miley's always one to fall head over heels for guys, following them around like a puppy dog, and she knows that this trip might not give her enough alone time with her friend.

Or maybe it's something else, but Lilly decides to ignore it. "Oh, hi uh…Mike," Lilly murmurs, timidly walking forward and shaking his hand awkwardly. "Lilly," he grins, releasing her hand to put an arm around Miley's waist. She appears almost uncomfortable, but forces herself to relax into his arms and pull Lilly into the house.

Just as Lilly's about to speak, Mike starts a full-blown conversation with Miley, something about hockey and possums. With a sigh, Lilly mutters, "Be right back," and turns to bring her duffel bag upstairs.

When the girl is safely out of hearing range, Mike whirls to face Miley, his eyes almost angry. "_Why_ is she here?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Miley crosses her arms over her chest. "She's here because I _invited _her here. Damnit, Mike, I swe-"

Mike cuts her off with a cold, threatening glare before going back to talking nonchalantly.

Slumping into a kitchen chair, Miley waits impatiently for Lilly to return.

**~…~**

Upstairs, grumbling incoherently to herself, Lilly tosses her clothes from the bag until the floral comforter of the bed is no longer visible, buried under jean shorts and cotton shirts.

A shrill, demanding ring makes the girl jump, yelping.

"Damn," she whispers, padding across the room and snatching the phone from beneath a pair of socks. "Hello?"

"Lilly?"

Lilly's blood runs cold, and she stops, frozen still like stone.

"Lilly? It's, uh, it's Oliver."

* * *

**WOAH. SEMI-CLIFFY o.o I think this gives you a lot of different ideas about what could and couldn't happen later in the story. Lalala. Things took an unexpected turn in this chapter. I didn't expect it, but it's okay because I'm up to chapter ten in writing and it's working out pretty well ;)Next one will be up uber soon…sooner if I feel compelled to edit.**

**And you know what compels me to edit? REVIEWS :P**


	5. suspicions, decisions, and an angry ex

**a/n: I KNOW THIS IS LATE. NO NEED TO RUB IT IN MY FACE.**

**okay, now that i got that off my chest, i do apologize. i went on vacation and then i got lazy and i needed to fix this chapter a lot…but here you go.**

**it's…decent? good? horrible? great?**

**we'll see, i guess xD oh, and you may have noticed this fic is now rated M. why? because that scene i wrote that i told you about is DEFINITELY going to be in the fic. not until later, though. so, if you're not a fan of smut or anything, you just don't have to read that chapter. this story isn't going to turn into like, a porno or a smutfest or anything x) actually, all i have and am planning to have is that one little sexy scene. well, that and another thing...**

**YAY. let's get to the chapter now, shall we? c:**

* * *

"Lilly? It's, uh, it's Oliver."

A million expletives, a million words that would have people questioning her manners fill Lilly's head, and she has to bite down on her lip to keep quiet.

"Lilly?"

_Just kill me now_, she thinks. She wishes it wasn't his voice on the other end, that maybe she's just hallucinating or dreaming. Or maybe she's just_ crazy._ Actually, even if she is crazy, Lilly doesn't think she'd mind. It'd mean that this voice is simply materializing in her head.

Just to break the silence, she murmurs, "What do you want, Oliver?"

Lilly doesn't say it rudely, not at all, but he snaps, anger flaring. It's so sudden and abrupt and his voice is suddenly so _loud_ that Lilly even stumbles backwards. "What do I _want_? I _want_ to know where the hell you are!"

Lilly's heart stops. How does he know she's gone? She never told him a word about the trip, hasn't spoken to him since the night before she called Miley. And then, suddenly, a wave of realization hits her, nearly knocking her down. _Mom…_

"You mean…she…?"

"Lilly, your mom has been bothering me _nonstop _today. Apparently she came to visit the apartment last night and neither of us was there so she panicked. She said she called you but you didn't answer, so for the past twenty-four hours she hasn't stopped yelling at me_ once_ because I don't know where you are!" He ends with a sharp intake of breath.

She wonders if this is a good time to tell him where she is. It probably is, but instead she musters up every bit of courage she has (reminding herself that she's Lillian Truscott, and she _doesn't_ get scared) just to keep her voice from trembling and replies, "I'm sorry, Oliver, I'm not in Malibu at the moment. Just tell my mom to call me, and as for you, don't call me back. Goodbye."

Lilly does a little fist pump after the last word tumbles from her lips. Hell, she's proud. She made it through an entire two sentences without losing her temper or crying. That's a bonus. She's about to hit the_ end_ button with her thumb when his voice stops her.

"Wait."

Lilly says nothing, shifting her weight onto her right foot and sighing deeply.

"Lilly…Where are you?"

_Shit._ Lilly isn't sure why, but she's getting the feeling that she really shouldn't tell him where she is. Oliver was never the dangerous type, but he's making her nervous now. "Tell me my mother to call me and that I'm fine." She punches the glowing red button quickly, ignoring the voice on the other end.

What a wonderful time for her mother to take notice that she hasn't been answering her phone.

With a weary sigh of defeat, Lilly sloppily piles her clothes into the teak-colored dresser and heads back downstairs, not bothering to close the drawers. She's halfway down the first flight of stairs when she's hears two voices, muted by the many walls between them and she, both of their tones varying from angry to upset to demanding.

The urge to run down there and come running in just to see what's wrong is forced into the back of her head, and she slowly makes her way down the stairs instead. The kitchen is now only a mere twenty feet away, so Lilly stops and listens.

She still can't hear. She just hears someone spitting angry, fuming words out, most of them coming from a male. _Mike._ Her eyes narrow and she slinks forward and through the archway, smiling a greeting to her friend. "You guys…okay?"

As soon as Lilly's standing on the hardwood floor, Miley springs up from her seat at the table, trotting forward. "Hey, Lils. Nothing, just talking it all…" Miley glances back, meeting Mike's hard stare. "Mike darling, me and Lilly have a lot of catching up to do, so why don't you go? I'll talk to you later."

Mike's jaw clenches and he gives Lilly a stare that makes her flinch.

"Okay…yeah," he mutters, wrapping an arm lightly around Miley's waist and kissing her lightly before glancing at Lilly once again. And with that, he gives both girls a slight wave and heads out of the room.

Neither of them breathes until they hear the front door open and then slam shut.

"So, I didn't know you had a _boyfriend, _Miles," Lilly grins, jokingly poking the girl's arm. "So…how long have you guys been dating?"

"Eh, a year?" Miley raises her eyebrows and shrugging casually, but her eyes seemed to be glazed over, as if she's thinking.

"You sure you're okay?" Lilly asks, eyeing her friend.

"Lilly, yes, I _am_ sure," Miley retorts before biting her lip lightly at the girl's hurt expression. "I'm sorry, Lilly. I swear I didn't mean to say it like that, but I _am_ fine." She smiles lightly, wrapping her arms around her blonde friend, leaning her head on her shoulder. It feels nice.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Miley suddenly frowns, straightening up and raising her eyebrows.

"Of course I do," Lilly says, pulling Miley closer to her and letting her head fall to rest on the girl's arm.

She doesn't really believe her, but she pretends she does.

**~…~**

"Miley, what the hell are we watching?"

Two young children are flitting across the screen, running alongside some chestnut-colored horse down a path lined with cherry trees.

"I'm…Not really sure."

Lilly giggles a little, hiding her smirk by burying her face in her knees that she's recently drawn to her chest. On the opposite end of the couch, Miley is on her stomach, fiddling with the seam of a pillow with the remote brushing against her arm.

"Well, I don't know about you," Lilly laughs, standing up and stretching, "but I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."

"'Kay. I'll be up soon, g'night." Miley smiles back, but her eyes are fixed on the screen; she's obviously immersed in the film.

"Night."

With her parting word still hovering in the air, Lilly giggles to herself and trots up the stairs, sliding down the hall childishly before prancing into her room. Despite the rather confusing events of earlier, she's in a great mood. Tomorrow will be great, she's sure.

A whole day with Miley.

A whole day with no tears or frantic heartbeats or boyfriends or neurotic mothers calling you on the phone screaming.

It's all so exciting Lilly's sure she'll explode; that mere thought makes her giggle again. God, she's acting so childish. Just subtract the one from her twenty-one years and it'll be perfect.

Stretching again like a cat, she collapses back onto the bed, sinking into the mattress. Everything here feels fucking _perfect._

Flicking off the lamp, Lilly yanks back the sheets, punches a pillow a couple of times, and crawls beneath the sheets, breathing deeply.

Uh oh. She can't sleep.

There's no way in hell she's going to be able to sleep while she's all wound up like this. She exhales noisily and stares at the ceiling. She stares out the window at the fields and the tall, looming trees. It's all so _Miley._

And Miley makes her think of Mike.

Lilly doesn't like him a bit. Already, too. Doesn't like the way he looks at Miley or how he talks or how his eyes gleam when he laughs. Maybe it's because he reminds her of _Oliver._

She gulps, trying to ignore the red-hot sensation of her phone beneath the pillow. That's where her phone is. She can't look at it.

Because in the past four hours he's sent her at least ten texts. He's _mad._

That's probably more than he texts Joannie, even.

Everything connects to something else. One painful memory connects to another and another….it's all too much for her too handle. Lilly Truscott isn't weak, she's just sort of fragile.

Lilly closes her eyes, hoping that sleep will claim her soon and she'll be dreaming of something happy. Like Miley, the only good thing that's happened to her in a while.

Ironically enough, moments later Lilly hears quiet footsteps out in the hall, going past her room. She hears a door open before it clicks shut. For some unknown reason, she feels safer now that Miley's here.

But her relief is short-lived, because soon Miley's talking. To herself? No, to somebody, definitely. Lilly notices she sounds upset. Or angry. Throwing the sheets back, she creeps into the hall, pausing next to the light flooding out of the crack under the door. It must be one helluva thick door, because Miley's voice is muted. But Lilly still gets the gist of the conversation. She's upset about something.

With a sigh, she refrains from interrupting rudely and swivels to go back to bed.

But something makes her stop cold, dead in her tracks.

The name 'Mike' is thrown into the conversation, and she bites down on her lip so hard she nearly draws blood.

Mike.

Now she _really_ has to hold herself back, not to run in and beg Miley to tell her what's wrong.

But she makes a promise: she's going to find out more about Mike, without a doubt.

And she's going to find out what's _really_ wrong with Miley.

* * *

**I JUST REALIZED SOMETHING COOL. on the show, oliver's alias is mike :o what a coincidence, right? XD i got all excited, still.**

**i swear the next chapter will be up sooner than this one was c: like, a week maybe. maybe even less. OH, and just for the record, what happened in the last chapter…i didn't see it coming, either. it just happened, and i wrote a few more chapters and I've really got a plot going. i have to say, i'm really proud of this story so far. you'll get what i mean when you see the next few chapters :o**

**sorry that there's no romantic liley YET. but soon they'll see each other in entirely different way, i swear.**

**thank you dears, for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and alerts. they make me so happy.**

**so, LEAVE ME A REVIEW and make my day? :D**


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